Baby Stuff, Baking, and Time with Friends

Posted on May 19, 2013 by pintofgoals

First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who shared some words of wisdom with me and answered my questions. I took much of your advice:
-Huggies sensitive wipes (448 count) were purchased.
-I picked out three nursing tanks from Target: two of these (same ones Liz likes) and one of these.
-We bought two more crib sheets; they were only $9.99, and since the bed converts to a toddler’s, I’m sure they’ll get used eventually.
-More disposable diapers (Pampers Swaddlers most likely) are needed. It sounds like the poops early on are so nasty, we won’t want to deal with cleaning the cloth diaper inserts.
-I may freeze some meals, or maybe double up on some recipes I make in these next few weeks that freeze well. I also want to bake a couple dozen healthy muffins for breakfast.

I had a very lovely weekend and did a decent job taking photos. Weekend recap starting…now.

Brody’s coworkers had a little get-together on Friday night to celebrate our upcoming bundle of joy. It was super low-key and basically a good reason to have everyone hang out, eat good food, and drink.

Kids were welcome, so obviously O-Dub (aka Owen, who is 6.5 months!) attended the soirée. He is such a happy, chill baby – plus he apparently likes the Blackhawks and Brody.

After grading for a couple hours Saturday morning, Brody and I took the dogs to the park. For how nice it was (besides the humidity), it was a quiet walk. The pups were stinky after two days at daycare this week, three trips to the dog park, and just general dog scent. They both got baths and a brushing, and now we have clean, soft puppies.

Moose’s hair/fur doesn’t dry well; Brody gave the hair dryer a shot. Moose was kind of into it, but it would’ve taken at least twenty minutes to dry him completely.

Saturday afternoon included some intense nesting (hanging of baby clothes, putting away of blankets and odds and ends, and acquiring of more baby clothes), grocery shopping, dropping off of cardboard boxes at the dump (they were taking over the garage), and some baking.

The large vat of strawberries from Costco stares at me every time I open the fridge, and as much as I love them, the acidity gets to me. I headed to Smitten Kitchen for some meal planning and found this recipe.

Considering I have never made biscuits before and don’t really know what it means to overwork dough, I was quite impressed with myself. They are the best the day off, and rather than eat all eleven myself, I gave two to a neighbor (who gave me the baby clothes) and two to the couple we met for dinner later that night.

Speaking of dinner, our jam-packed day ended with a casual evening out at Ale Asylum with our friends Andrew and Melissa. I ordered the spicy black bean burger, and it was so good. The chipotle mayo played a key role in the burger’s success. We luckily landed a table outside and stayed until 9:30pm chatting. Brody and I recognize it may be a little bit more difficult to see our friends and enjoy dinners out in a few weeks, so we’re taking advantage of these opportunities now.

My interest in baking and strawberries continued into Sunday when I made waffles topped with strawberries (duh), unsweetened coconut, and real maple syrup.

I made one for Brody too, but he ran five miles outside and was a sweaty mess when he got done as it was (and still is) very humid. The smell of baked dough wasn’t very appealing – it looks like breakfast is already made for me tomorrow!

While browsing Smitten Kitchen’s blog, I had also found this vegetable-heavy recipe. Many of her recipes are more involved (ingredient and skill-wise) than I typically go for. However, I can handle chopping veggies. To be honest, I find cutting up fruit and veggies very relaxing. Meat? That’s another story.

To appease my husband, I omitted the kalamata olives and will add them to my own servings. Isn’t it so pretty? It’s going to taste delicious next to chicken sausages on the grill. Also, you may notice there is feta cheese in this salad. It is made from pasteurized milk, so I feel safe consuming this soft cheese.

Now I sit here with Brody, on our back patio, with our feet up, waiting for the chicken sausages to be put on the grill.

Not a bad way to end a great weekend.

Pregnancy Update: 36 Weeks

Posted on May 17, 2013 by pintofgoals

Phew! We all made it through another week. Sometimes Friday seems so far away on Monday morning.

Baby and I also made it through another week together, which is good because I’m not full-term yet. Soon though. Very soon.

How far along? 36 weeks and 3 days.

Baby’s size? She’s a honeydew this week – approximately 17.5 – 19 inches and still 4.2-5.8 lbs. My fundus measurement yesterday was 37cm, so she grew a little more.

Weight gained? Between 20-25 lbs. I didn’t gain any this last week, so I’m thinking I’ve topped off. I’ve heard some women even lose a few pounds at the end, not that I really care. I’m very happy with my healthy weight gain.

Stretch marks? None.

Sleep? Now that it’s warmed up a little, it has been fantastic to sleep with the windows open. I still am up way more times than I’d like, but it’s not disrupting my daytime living.

Best moment(s) this week?I laughed the hardest when my coworker and fellow carpooler, Dave, presented me (or us, the carpool) with an Emergency Transportation Delivery Kit. Our drive is about thirty minutes, and if by chance Baby needs to come out, we are prepared: apron, forceps, sponge, ear plugs, and latex gloves.

Same picture from last post

Two days later, he brought an updated kit which included brandy wine (more for me than Dave), a garbage bag, and paper towels.

I will miss my two carpoolers next year when I’m home for first semester!

Miss anything? Regular clothes, beer (and not just a sip or two), stomach sleeping, and running.

Looking forward to? School being done (T minus 10 instructional days!!!), summer, and of course the big one: meeting Baby!

Movement? She is still quite active. Considering how cramped it’s got to be in there, she kicks me a lot. My left bottom ribs are a little sore actually.

Food cravings? Iced coffee, tortilla chips, and green monster smoothies.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nothing really. My blood pressure was again normal – yah!

Exercise? I did make it to the cardio class Saturday morning (and was the only pregnant person there), got to the dog park twice, and did 30 minutes on the elliptical one day. Not too bad.

Gender? Girl.

Labor signs? Some Braxton Hicks and a handful of twinges down there. Nothing consistent or concerning.

Symptoms? I think I “dropped” on Wednesday; there’s a little more room for me to breathe. As I mentioned before, I have some minor swelling, and my feet ache by the end of the day.

Belly button in or out? Out, and you can see it through shirts.

Wedding rings on or off Off at night and on during the day. Most of the swelling in my hands is at night, and the swelling in my feet happens at the end of the day.

Other pregnancy/baby news:
-My fellow Wine & Recipe pregnant friend, Amber, had her second child this week. They chose to not find out the gender, and they had a boy! No word yet on the name but there was a cute picture of Baby and Dad.
-I finished all of my thank you notes from my last shower (which I still need to upload photos from and do a post) but just need to buy stamps.
-As I’ve shared, all the clothes are washed and now need to be organized. A friend suggesting hanging most of it, and Brody and I both agree that’s a good idea. We’ll be able to see most things and hopefully use most of the clothes we have been given. I think we’ll still fold the white onesies though and put those in a drawer.

And to finish up, I have some questions for the mamas out there. To them and everyone else, have a great weekend!

Questions:
-Does our clothing organization sound like a reasonable plan?
-Do you recommend stocking the freezer with leftovers and/or pre-made meals?
-How many burp cloths are necessary?
-Do most newborns need to wear disposables or is there a chance she’ll be able to wear the cloth diapers right away?
-Should I buy a big thing of wipes or a small container in case she reacts to that brand?
-How many crib sheets should we have? Is three okay?
-How many nursing tanks would you recommend?

One Word Wednesday

Posted on May 15, 2013 by pintofgoals

I believe I saw this on Ashley’s blog last week, and she fessed up to borrowing it from someone else. I’m taking the concept and rolling with it for this week. To whoever started it, great idea!

It is simple: For each image, provide a one word (or one idea) response or description. Depending on interest or questions in the comments, I may elaborate more in a future post.

Yum!

Emergency delivery kit (joke)

Cankles?

Post-elliptical selfie

Sister’s mango (compliments of my blog tutorial)

Lucky

Adorable

Nesting (organization?!?!)

Hilarious (thanks Bridget)

Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

Question:
Which picture do you want to know more about?

Pregnancy Update: Week 35

Posted on May 9, 2013 by pintofgoals

Hey there!

I cannot believe how close June 10 is. My pregnancy has both flown by and also dragged on at times.

Here’s what new with me and the pregnancy.

How far along? 35 weeks.

Taken at 6:30am, hence the puffy eyes.

Baby’s size? She’s a coconut this week – approximately 17-19 inches and 4.2-5.8 lbs. My fundus measurement today was 36 cm.

Weight gained? I’m at 20 lbs. It is a little odd to be approaching 150 lbs. but I know it’s good because it means she’s growing.

Stretch marks? None.

Sleep? It is such a production to turn from one side to the other, so I wake up often just to do that. Throw in a couple potty breaks and I am a mama in training for restless nights.

Best moment(s) this week?My last baby shower was on Sunday (post on that coming soon), and it was lots of fun! It was mainly friends and lots of different groups of friends. I was particularly excited to see this lady: my BFF from high school, Susan.

Miss anything? My feet not hurting by the end of the day, not having discomfort at the bottom of my belly, and stomach sleeping.

Looking forward to? Now I feel like I can say meeting her! She could come any day now. Brody is also excited to meet his little girl (and for me to be done being pregnant…as am I).

Movement? Yes, a lot – including hiccups. I’m glad I got to experience that feeling finally.

Food cravings? Nothing really. However this shipment of Jeni’s ice cream to me from my MIL for Mother’s Day may change that answer real soon…

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not really. My blood pressure was normal today at my appointment which was nice to hear. I haven’t felt faint for a week or so.

Exercise? Last week was a very active week for me: walks at the dog park, a Zumba class, an elliptical session, and an eighty minute cardio class with my pregnant friend Jena. This week I walked at the dog park and have hopes of going to the cardio class on Saturday morning.

Gender? Girl.

Labor signs? Some Braxton Hicks but they are not painful or anything – just a tight, hard belly for a little bit.

Symptoms? I have begun to experience a little swelling. My hands swell at night, and my feet are swollen a smidge by the end of the day. Good thing I can wear sandals to school now.

Belly button in or out? It’s kind of sticking out now. I am surprised – I thought it would stay flat.

Wedding rings on or off Off at night, and normally on during the day. However I didn’t wear them today because my hands were still a little swollen before I left for work.

Other pregnancy/baby news:
-Brody set up a bunch of the baby things, including the swing, bouncer, and pack ‘n play.

I don’t think he even swore once!

-The nursery is a DISASTER!

We need to write thank you notes, choose a few things to return, do some laundry, and somehow devise a logical organizational system. It’s still a cute disaster, though – right?

I wonder how many more of these I’ll have to post before they start to turn into updates about Baby. Only time will tell.

Gala for American Family Children’s Hospital

Posted on May 5, 2013 by pintofgoals

Oh hey, Cindy. Nice to see you…and breathe the same air as you.

In case you’re curious, she still looks freakin’ incredible: beautiful hair, flawless skin, and thin but not gaunt. EVERYONE, including our table, stared at her as she made friendlies with the big donors at their tables.

On Friday night, Brody and I attended an event at the hall in Gordon’s Commons on UW-Madison’s campus hosted by Merrill Lynch raising money for the American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison. Cindy Crawford was there because her brother, when he was two years old, was treated at UW’s hospital for leukemia. He unfortunately passed away two years later, and since then, the Crawford family has been involved in supporting the hospital.

There are lots of ways to contribute to the charity (besides paying for a table or seat for dinner). Outside of the ballroom, lots of goodies were lined up for a silent auction. I didn’t even get a chance to look at the items, but to be honest, everything was likely out of our price range anyways. Later on, they also had a cash auction. Lastly, a very generous woman agreed to match all gifts for the event up to $400,000. At the end of the night, Merrill Lynch presented the American Family Children’s Hospital with a check for approximately $616,000 for an addition, as they have already outgrown their space.

As for the food, it was quite delicious. We started with an appetizer of shrimp, asparagus “salad,” and a chilled pea and mint soup with bacon.

For the main course, we were served steak, a scallop, and some vegetables (potato and rutabaga I think). Brody wasn’t a fan of the scallop, but I thought it was cooked perfectly and happily ate his.

Sorry for the blurry iPhone photo

Dessert – my favorite – was a trio of chocolate mousse, rhubarb tart, coffee creme brûlée (the best of the three). Again, my amazing husband generously gave me his coffee creme brûlée.

After the eating portion of the night, there were speeches (including one by Cindy Crawford) and a video of a family impacted by the Children’s Hospital. The video was obviously very moving, especially with a little one on the way. I’ll admit to getting choked up a few times and shedding some tears, in particular when the husband said how strong his wife was throughout the whole ordeal. Because one of their twin boys needed to be sent to the American Family Children’s Hospital from Fond du Lac only a couple hours after birth, the first time she really saw her son was when he was five days old. I get teary-eyed even typing that now.

It’s scary to think about all of the bad stuff that can go wrong. I hope we never have to send our child to the Children’s Hospital, but like I said with my minor medical issues, I feel so darn lucky to live in a city with such incredible hospitals, doctors, nurses, and support staff.

Brody and I had a fun time getting dressed up and going out together, especially since we were able to contribute to such an amazing cause.

A few pregnancy related bits from the night:
-The wife of Mark Tauscher, a former Badger and Packer player, said I looked great as she walked past. At first I didn’t realize she was also pregnant, but luckily I did and then complimented her on her red high heels.
-I was one of at least five pregnant ladies at the event. I’m guessing we were all sniffling and crying through the video.
-My go-to drink when I’m out with others who are drinking is a club soda with a little cranberry juice and a lime.

Questions:
What celebrities have you seen in person?
What charities do you like to support (through time or money)?

Pregnancy Update: Week 34

Posted on May 1, 2013 by pintofgoals

It’s time for an update!

How far along? Today marks the beginning of week 34. According to the daily pregnancy journal I read aloud before bed, if she was born now, she’d be fully functioning. Don’t get any ideas Little Girl – you got to hold on until at least June 6 (last day of school for final exams).

No side shot this week. My belly is the bigger one on the left.

Baby’s size? She’s about the size of a cantaloupe, about 4 3/4 lbs, and 18 inches long.

Weight gained? I haven’t weighed myself for over a week. I would guess I’m getting close to 20 lbs.

Stretch marks? Nope!

Sleep? Ehh…not great. I still wake up often, and while I’m not uncomfortable, I can’t get comfortable. Does that make sense?

Best moment(s) this week?
1. Last night at our baby classes, an anesthesiologist came to share information and answer questions. Both Brody and I found it very helpful. At this point, I hadn’t really committed to going drug-free, which tells me that it’s not something I want to shoot for. I’d like to keep an open mind, though, because I realize I may not be able to get an epidural for whatever reason.
2. My birthday was a great “moment,” including the prenatal massage.
3. Grilling out on Sunday night and then eating outside.

Miss anything? Sleeping well (which I realize will not happen again for a long time), red wine, and not having to pee every hour (especially in the morning).

Looking forward to? My last baby shower is Sunday, and this is the one with friends and family. My BFF from high school who lives in Iowa is coming, and I’m super excited to see her.

Movement? All the time! My doctor said her head is still down, and I think her butt and hips are under my right ribs and her knees and feet are under my left ribs.

Food cravings? Corn Chex, artichokes, and Sassy Cow 1% milk.

Anything making you queasy or sick? I’ve been feeling faint quite often. When I mentioned it to my doctor, she said that it’s my lower blood pressure. Mine is a little lower than normal, so when I stand still for a while, I start to feel woozy. As I mentioned in my last post, I think I have supine hypotensive syndrome. When I lie on my back or even at an incline, I start to feel nauseous, anxious, and panicky (similar to symptoms of going into shock). The anesthesiologist said that the major arteries (or veins) are blocked from the weight of the baby and uterus, and the heart can’t reload to pump more blood (or something like that). This explains why I freaked out during the MRI, at the dentist, and while getting a massage (on back on an incline).

Exercise? Walks at the dog park, intervals on the elliptical, and an occasional cardio class at the gym. Not too bad for the belly I’ve got on me.

Gender? Girl.

Labor signs? None really – some minor Braxton Hicks though.

Symptoms? Linea nigra, special varicose veins, some varicose veins on the backs of my legs, low blood pressure, and frequent urination. Nothing too horrible.

Belly button in or out? Basically flat.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Other pregnancy/baby news:
-Brody ordered prints from Etsy and had them made on canvases. They look amazing above the crib!

The mobile has shipped and should arrive any day.

It’s all coming together.

-My friend from high school, Jeana, had her daughter, Avery, last Monday. A C-section was scheduled for Friday, but her water broke Monday morning. I can’t wait to have play dates with our daughters this summer!

-I had a female student tell me I look huge last week. Awesome. Thanks. Teenagers don’t always have filters.

That’s all for today. Hope you had a good Tuesday!

Hey Shorty, It’s Your Birthday

Posted on April 28, 2013 by pintofgoals

Yesterday I turned the big 3-0.

Some people freak out over this milestone, but it didn’t bother me at all. It was actually a lovely day from start to finish.

It started with participating in the Crazylegs two-mile walk with my friend Jena. We made shirts – people loved them!

We walked along with my former coworker Brad and his wife Jess. They had their baby girl, Hadley, about two and a half months ago. The four of us talked baby stuff (I love hearing people’s birth stories) while Hadley slept.

We made out way into Camp Randall and posed at the finish line. Both of us got a wee but jealous of all of the red-faced runners. I miss the adrenaline, exhaustion, and sweat of finishing a good run. This summer, hopefully, I’ll be back at it.

It’s crazy (no pun intended) that a year ago I ran 14 miles, with the last five being the Crazylegs race. How things can change in a year!

At 1pm, I scheduled a prenatal massage at The Wellness Room – happy birthday to myself. She didn’t have a table for me to lie on my stomach, but it still felt amazing. Because of my self-diagnosed supine hypotensive syndrome (have I mentioned this before?), I was unable to stay on my back the whole time, even at an angle. I still felt super relaxed afterwards as obvious by my manly voice for the next couple hours.

Up until this point Brody had been absent from my birthday due to a hockey tournament. He had a game at 4:30pm, so I got to the rink and watched his team shut out the other team, 9-0. Brody scored one goal (which I missed because I was in the bathroom – story of my life) and one assist. Unfortunately they didn’t make the finals. Fortunately, this meant we got to go to dinner for my birthday.

Last week I told Brody I wanted to go to the Tornado Room for steak. He was surprised because normally I choose funkier or more ethnic restaurants. This pregnant lady wanted beef, which, interestingly enough, is also what I requested for my birthday dinner last year.

I basically knew exactly what I wanted when we sat down – baked french onion soup, petit filet (medium rare), and a green vegetable (I went with asparagus). Their steak is SO good, and I love the onion ring they serve on top of the steak. I failed to take any food pics, but if you live around Madison or are visiting and you want the best steak in town, go here and you will not regret it.

At home, I had a few bites of Chocolate Shoppe peanut butter cup ice cream and then went to bed. We were asleep by 10pm. Party animals around here.

As for presents, my sweet husband got me a ten classes at my favorite yoga studio, Inner Fire Yoga, so that post-birth, I can get in the routine of going once a week on Saturday or Sunday while he stays home with our little one. He also got me a fabulous diaper bag.

I had planned on just using his (the Diaper Dude), but this one is way cuter and looks more like an over-sized purse. He’s so good at gifts!

Like I said – a very good day.

Questions:
Are you a “birthday” person?
What would your perfect birthday be like?

How To Cut a Mango

Posted on April 24, 2013 by pintofgoals

I recently posted a link to Skinnytaste’s Slow Cooked Jerk Pork with Caribbean Salsa. The salsa includes mango, and a fellow blogger, Liz, asked how I cut mangos. My ridiculous response in the comments section prompted me to write this post. Thanks Liz!

Start by holding the mango the skinny way (flatter sides facing to the left and right).

Cut off the two sides as close to the flat sides of the pit as possible.

You will be left with the pit and some flesh around the outside of it.

Use a sharp knife to cut through the flesh but not the skin making squares and triangles.

Push the half inside outside.

No photo of the next step but you cut off the chunks of mango getting as close to the skin as you can. At this step, you will often find me eating off the small pieces of mango the knife missed.

Almost done now!

Cut off the sides along the edges of the pit.

Run the knife between the flesh and the skin.

Cut the smaller “moons” of flesh into chunks.

There may be some flesh still on the pit, so you may be able to get a little more by cutting close to the pit. If you’re like me, you might go animal style and just eat the remaining juicy fruit off the pit.

There you have it – my technique for cutting a mango.

It takes me about five minutes from start to finish, and it is so worth the time. I’ve never bought pre-cut mango, but it always looks horribly dry and is more expensive. During the winter months, I often have a bag of frozen mango from TJ’s in my freezer to get my mango fix. It is my favorite fruit!

Good luck in your mango cutting and eating!

Adventures in Wine & Recipe

Posted on April 21, 2013 by pintofgoals

In a one week span (a couple of weeks ago), I was lucky enough to hang out with this fun group of women TWICE! Considering we normally all get together only once a month, this was a treat.

Our first adventure was a 30th birthday outing for Mel in Milwaukee. We all decided we do not utilize this city nearly enough with how close it is to Madison/Sun Prairie.

We met at Mel’s house on Saturday morning at 9am to kick off the weekend right: bloodies and mimosas (obv virgin mimosas for Jena and I). The drive to Milwaukee was fast, and we arrived at Lakefront Brewery for our tour (my second brewery tour as a pregnant person).

The tour was lots of fun – our guide had a great sense of humor, and with it being Mel’s birthday weekend, she wasn’t shy getting involved.

At the end in the tasting room, you can exchange your plastic cup for a pint glass. I love drinking out of these, so I was happy to add another beer glass to our everyday use collection. Classy stuff around here.

It was way past lunchtime by the time we left Lakefront (hello extra drinking tokens from two pregnant ladies), so once arrived at The Wicked Hop, we ordered a bunch of more substantial appetizers to share. The bloodies were also meals within themselves – check out all of those goodies! The marinated mushrooms were the best.

Cheers to Mel!

We were in the Third Ward, which has some cute shops and boutiques. We shopped for a few hours, and I found a bright neon orange and white stripped infinity scarf for $15. Almost everyone bought at least one thing – Laura actually walked away with an entire outfit from various shops.

Post-shopping pic on the hotel stairs – Laura’s in the front with the dark hair and all the bags

After some eating, drinking, and gift-opening at the hotel, everyone got gussied up for a nice dinner (and I cannot remember the name of the restaurant now – pregnancy brain?). Three of the ladies weren’t spending the night, so they took off after dinner while the five of us – Mel, Jena, Emily, Nicole, and myself – went to The Oaks, a small but very club-like bar.

One NA drink later, Jena and I called it a pregnant night and walked back to the hotel. The remaining three party animals hit up The Whiskey Bar and closed it down, not coming home until after 3am. Damn impressive ladies!

It was a super fun weekend, and spending so much time with a group of friends like that made me feel like I was in college again…just sober and/or not hungover.

Four days later, we were all reunited for a monthly Wine & Recipe night for our second adventure. Steph hosted and chose the theme “Caribbean/Tropical.” Very timely considering the crap weather we’ve been having.

I failed to take any pictures but I will share a few recipes, starting with mine.

Because I’m still on my “chicken-breasts-make-me-wanna-gag” thing, I felt compelled to go with a pork recipe. While I could’ve done an app or dessert, I really prefer bringing main dishes. I turned to a favorite recipe blog, Skinnytaste, and was not disappointed.

Slow Cooked Pork with Caribbean Salsa was a winner. Even Brody liked it!

Photo from link above
I’m glad I re-read the recipe the day before because it does require you to marinate the pork for at least five hours before putting it in the slow cooker. As the picture shows, I also served mine over brown rice but as leftovers had it in a whole wheat tortilla. Last thing: I didn’t have the specific jerk seasoning Gina used but found a jerk seasoning at my local grocery store for $5.

Other all-stars from the night were Mel’s tropical quinoa salad and Amber’s coconut banana bread. While the the bread recipe is not the exact one she used, it’s pretty close, and I know to trust anything coming from America’s Test Kitchen.

The weather outside was not even close to tropical, but the fun eats and umbrellas in our water glasses made us forget about that. Too bad Steph couldn’t have brought a heat lamp into her dining room or passed around self-tanner.

Before the night ended, the three of us pregnant ladies took a photo because, interestingly enough, we all wore basically the same outfit. Actually Amber and I had on the exact same top from Target!

When this was taken, Amber was 34 weeks (gender unknown), I was 31 (with a girl), and Jena was 25 (with a boy).

It was such a fun week being with these ladies, and it made me look forward to our monthly get together all the more.

Questions:
Do you have a regular get together? Book or dinner club? Scrapbooking or stamping group? Weekly runs with a group?
Thoughts on brewery tours? Best ones around you?
Of the recipes I shared, which one would you be most likely to make?

Pregnancy Update: Week 32

Posted on April 19, 2013 by pintofgoals

How far along? I’m in my thirty-second week. Seriously insane. Less than two months until she gets here.

Not my best selfie but what else do you expect at 8:30pm on a Thursday.

Baby’s size? She’s about the size of a squash: approximately 15 – 17 inches and 2.5 – 3.8 lbs.

Weight gained? I’ve gained around 17 lbs.

Stretch marks? Still none. I know I’m lucky. Hopefully none appear for these last six-ish weeks.

Sleep? Some nights are better than others. I seem to wake up every time I change positions (i.e. roll from my right side to my left side), and add that to the two times I wake up to use the restroom…well, you get the idea. I like to think of it is as training for my future sleep schedule.

Best moment this week? We had a doctor’s appointment a week ago, and my fundus measurement went from 24cm last month to 31cm! Baby grew a lot! It was pretty obvious that my belly really popped this last month. I’m glad she’s right on track. The doctor also said her head is down, which I was very happy to hear.

Miss anything? Sleeping on my stomach and running…so nothing new.

Movement? Oh ya. The movement is different, too. Early on I felt swift, quick punches and kicks. Now she’s rolling or something in there.

Food cravings? I’m back into hard boiled eggs; I’ve been eating one as a mid-morning snack every day this week.

Anything making you queasy or sick? My previously mentioned stomach issues suddenly went away right after the babymoon. Whether it was the Florajen3 that helped or just a pesky bug finally leaving my system, it’s gone. I haven’t gotten carsick recently, but I have been avoiding triggers (sitting in the back, reading, or checking anything on my phone).

Gender? Girl.

Labor signs? None, but I have felt some Braxton Hicks.

Symptoms? Same as last time: heartburn (but it has decreased, strangely enough), frequent urination (gotten worse), varicose veins (pain has decreased in the last couple weeks!), and a growing waistline.

Belly button in or out? The top flap of my belly button sticks out a little and shows through some tops.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Other news:
-We started the “baby” classes on Monday, which we’re taking through Meriter. The first three classes are about labor and delivery, and the last three are about child care.
-The nursery is basically done!

We are waiting on this mobile I found on Etsy.

-Brody bought The Happiest Baby on the Block. I ended up reading it first, and now Brody is about half way through it. The author/doctor emphasizes the importance of swaddling, so two days ago I came home to one of the dogs’ toys, an elf, swaddled in an Aden + Anais blanket.
Last week, Frankie was Brody’s guinea pig.

Practice makes perfect!
-I’ve had two of my three baby showers, and WOW! I am so lucky to have such kind and generous people in my life. My work shower was last week Tuesday, and my neighborhood shower was on Sunday. I came home from both with lots of blankets, cute clothes, the changing pad, books, toys, and so much more.

Considering I named my blog Pint of Goals, you’d think I’d be referencing my goals more often. I never mentioned this before, but getting pregnant or having a baby was one of my/our goals for 2012. I hope that it’s been obvious that my goal throughout this pregnancy has been to be as healthy and happy as I can. Aside from some moments of doubt, fear, and sometimes not as many workouts as I would’ve liked, I feel like I’ve been successful in this goal.